לרפואה שלמה בת-שבע בת שרה חיה בתוך שאר חולי ישראל
JERUSALEM BUS ACCIDENT: 21-Year-Old Newlywed Is Fighting For Her Life
Instead of sitting here trying to somehow translate the swirling incoherence, and transform the waves of feeling and emotion into semi-comprehensible sentences on a screen, I thought I would just skip the beginning and the middle, and jump straight to the end. Those who will understand, will understand. Those who know that there is always more hidden between the lines, will know to look there as they always do. Those who won’t and those who don’t, will still enjoy a nice song.
At least that’s the hope.
As we know, in addition to Dovid Hamelech, several other authors composed Tehillim – Adam HaRishon, Malkitzedek, Avraham Avinu, Moshe Rabbeinu, the three sons of Korach, etc. One of the less talked about psalmists was one by the name of Asaf. He was the son of Berachya, a descendant of Gershon the son of Levi. He was part of the group of Leviim, appointed by David Hamelech, whose job it was to play their instruments and to invoke, thank, and praise Hashem – before, during and after the construction of the first Beis Hamikdash.
Asaf authored twelve Psalms altogether, eleven of them in a row from 73-83. {Interesting to note that in Ezra (2:41) we find that the children of Asaf were among those who returned to Eretz Yisroel seventy years after the destruction of Bayis Rishon, when the exiles were finally allowed to come home. There his family is referred to as The Meshorerim – The Singers.}
Kappital ‘פ speaks about the long and grueling golus in which we now find ourselves. Asaf begins by recalling the care the Hashem showed us when He first settled us in Eretz Yisroel. In doing so, he famously refers to Klal Yisroel as a grapevine that Hashem has uprooted from Mitzrayim and firmly planted in His land. The vine has taken root and has grown to be great and plentiful. Mountains were covered by its shade, and its branches were like massive cedars.
But the pesukim go on to describe the strife that the vine now endures – the wayfarers that pluck its fruit, the wild boars that gnaw at its leaves, the creeping things of the field which graze on its branches. And with its fences breached as they are, the once secure and flourishing grapevine must now face the wrath of its vengeful enemies….
In the remaining pesukim, Asaf davens to Hashem to restore Klal Yisroel to the Land – to reestablish His vineyard, to protect it and draw it near to Him once again.
.אֱלֹקִים צְבָקוֹת שׁוּב נָא, הַבֵּט מִשָּׁמַיִם וּרְאֵה, וּפְקֹד גֶּפֶן זֹאת
Hashem, Master of all creations, return to us please; look from the heavens and see how we are in anguish. Look after this vine and protect it as You had done so before.
.וְכַנָּה אֲשֶׁר נָטְעָה יְמִינֶךָ, וְעַל בֵּן אִמַּצְתָּה לָּךְ
Look after Eretz Yisroel – the place in which Your right hand planted the vine, and look after the Jewish Nation – the son whom You have strengthened and raised for Yourself to be Your great and holy nation. (80:15,16)
Habeit was composed by the singular songwriter Rav Hillel Paley, and was sung by Mordechai Ben David on his 1999 hit album Lulei Sorascha/We Are One. With this song we ask that you please say a heartfelt tefillah for rachamei Shomayim on behalf of Batsheva bas Sara Chaya who was severely injured in Thursday night’s bus catastrophic accident. Hashem Yeracheim, she lost both legs in the accident and she’s now fighting for her life. At the same time, Rav Paley asks that we daven for his son, her husband of only six months, Chaim ben Rachel to have the strength to deal with the difficult situation he is now facing.
B’suros tovos to one and all.
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